


Fairy Tale

by justsimplymeagain



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M, Official adoption this time, Plo Koon style, Sequel, Toddler Maul, adoption story, misuse of magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-23 03:28:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30049239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsimplymeagain/pseuds/justsimplymeagain
Summary: As with everything, the attempt at revenge came with a consequence for Maul, only this time perhaps a happy ending might just be possible if things go correctly first.
Relationships: Kit Fisto/Plo Koon, Plo Koon & Darth Maul
Comments: 18
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a sequel of sorts to my oneshot "Story Book". It's an idea that just wouldn't leave me alone despite the fact that I have other stories on the go. I couldn't help myself.

He was older than what people thought and he was younger than people expect, and that suited the old Jedi Master just fine. There was a mischievous side to him that liked keeping people guessing. Especially his dear Kit, who was still on the mend months later. The fellow Jedi Master kept his spirits bright, but Plo knew that he had troubling dreams. Understandable, either Plo or another council member were sitting with him and others helping them meditate and heal. It was the least they could do. Help each other heal.

Plo worried about young Skywalker the most, the boy was practically being groomed and didn’t even know it. Not to mention they had legions of Clone Troopers who needed guidance and care after finding out that there was something in their heads that would strip them of their free will. Not that they had much in the first place, but the amount they would have lost should the Sith decide to give that horrid order come to pass. It was nightmarish.

Plo advocated for them now, others sided with him. The least they could do for the clones was help them and give them something that would have been stolen from them – their freedom.

But that was a matter for another day.

Today he had an interesting situation on hand. Namely one brought on by a young former Sith lord who Plo kept company while he was healing. None other than Maul. Plo Koon was fully aware of what the young man has done, the horrible and unforgivable. And yet, Plo was also aware that that same man was the one who sat and gently recounted word for word his favorite story that was read to him. It gave Plo hope that he could turn to the light side despite being raised on the dark side. Plo wanted to believe that he could, but he knew that the dark side was so ingrained in the man it could be too scary for him to leave it now.

It was something he wanted to meditate on, something he would want to speak with his former master about as well.

But for now, the ship he was on set down and his pack – who decided after everything was said and done, they would stay with Plo Koon – exited first despite Plo’s mild annoyance. It made it harder to keep them safe that way.

They were here because out of nowhere, Maul contacted Plo asking for his assistance. Made it clear that he didn’t have time to explain everything, that he’ll explain everything later. But he needed help and he didn’t know who to turn to. Plo wasn’t aware of another instance where the young former Sith lord reached out to anyone, so he took it on faith and budding trust and made the choice to investigate. Other Jedi Master were skeptical, for obvious reasons.

But Plo Koon took a leap of faith and headed to Maul’s co-ordinates.

Only to be met with silence.

He was nowhere to be seen and so far, nothing pointed to this being a trap. Plo was worried that they had the wrong location, said as much to Commander Wolffe who assured him they had the right place, they triple checked at this point.

**_{{Sir, you uh, you might want to come see this}}_ **

Sinker’s voice came through loud and clear, there were garbled sounds in the background but nothing that told them of immediate danger. So Plo along with Wolffe headed in that direction. Only to be met with a rather unusual sight. Before Clone Sergeant Sinker was metal legs, clothing, and a red and black toddler. A toddler who looked like he was about ready to try and fight the sergeant.

Plo was at a loss of words, reaching out and everything in the force told him that that little boy was Maul. But it didn’t make sense because Maul was a full-grown adult. Not a child and certainly not a toddler. And yet, the force was telling him that before Plo was in fact, Maul.

“Maul?” Plo ventured as he approached and knelt before the perturbed child. The frown and angry tears told him a lot, what he sensed told him more. Maul was scared. Whatever magic was done to him, caught him off guard and helpless, and being de-aged only seemed to enforce that. A sharp nod that was softened by round cheeks and soft nubs for horns. Maul seemed aware despite everything, but it was unknown how aware he was and how aware he would continue being.

Plo was at a loss, in his whole life he had never dealt with a situation where someone was literally de-aged. And what made things worse or at the very least increasingly confusing. Maul still oozed the dark side of the force and Plo didn’t know if that was because he was de-aged or what. It was a thought he would have to meditate on and investigate further. But later.

Plo faintly acknowledged his men as they entered or contacted to inform Wolffe that the place was clear. Instead, he knelt down so he could be at eye level with the boy. Reminding himself that technically Maul wasn’t a boy, he was a grown man. Or should be.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Plo asked, those who were in the room with him were perplexed as well. No doubt their training never prepared them for a situation as unique as this one. Still, they were handling it with the utmost professionalism possible. Plo Koon was proud of his boys.

“Bad. Magic. Kriff!” It was jarring for one to hear a toddler speak, but not as jarring as it was to hear an innocent voice and know that it was Maul. Maul who slaughtered innocent. Maul who murdered the Duchess of Mandalore. Maul who was a former Sith Lord. Maul who killed a good friend of Plo’s.

Nodding, he tried to encourage other details only to get a frustrated sound from the toddler who kept saying other nonsensical words and trying to structure them together. The more frustrated he got, the less it sounded like Galactic Basic. And Plo may know a lot of languages, some more than others. He couldn’t make sense of what Maul was trying to say and getting increasingly frustrated when no one was getting it.

Plo wasn’t normally at a loss on how to handle a child, but in this case, he was at a loss in how to handle Maul as a child.

In the back of his mind, he could almost hear his old master tell him bluntly that stop seeing the child as an adult and treat him as such. A child. A frustrated and scared child. Tyvokka would not be amused with him at all. Plo decided to follow his old master’s unspoken advice, or advice he believed he would be given. Hopefully, with a head rub, Plo sometimes missed the pats and care he received from his master.

With a quiet sigh and careful recentering.

Careful so he didn’t startle or agitate the boy before him, Plo completely sat down as he watched the boy idly pat the metal legs that now laid ominously still on the floor. Plo gave Maul a moment before pulling the child’s attention back to him. And only on him, he needed Maul to focus and understand what Plo wished.

“Do you have a recording of what happened?” Plo asked, making sure to make eye contact as best he could. It unnerved some to look him in the eyes, or where his eyes should be if they weren’t covered by goggles.

A head shake was all it took.

No, Maul didn’t.

As Plo figured, it was worth a shot. Instead, he took hold of the boy’s small hands ignoring how they still felt like death even at this age appearance. The force was like that, always leaving imprints always telling stories, and showcasing the history of everything and anything from a simple pen to a wall to a room. To hands that killed and hands that healed. Even Plo Koon's hands felt of death, but not to the malicious degree that Maul had. It was easy to get past this when you could control your own mind and emotions. But oftentimes, he’s seen Padawans being freaked and startled by some of the imprints left behind by the force on objects. They always tried to keep the younglings safe and away from the harsher experiences as best that they could.

Sometimes they failed. And sometimes even Masters were blind to it, or else they would have seen the truth on individuals sooner.

But that was something to meditate on another day.

Now, Plo centered himself and focused once more on the young appearing Maul who seemed uncomfortable with the degree of contact already.

“Can you explain to me what happened? Or, would you be comfortable if you let me in and see what happened? I will not look or pry into anything but the immediate history behind your sudden de-aging.” Plo tried and made sure to make it clear he wasn’t going to force himself nor was he going to glimpse at anything he wasn’t given permission to. Adding, “You will be in control of what I see.” It was harder to let someone else guide, but Maul was in a delicate spot right now, his trust extremely limited. To break that would be horrendous in Plo’s opinion. He’s already seen and experienced what broken trust could do.

Plo felt fear. Anger and hatred at one’s own vulnerability.

“I can ask everyone to leave the room.” Plo added and Maul seemed to regard each and every one of them. It took a moment, but eventually, the boy agreed. And Plo guided him into sitting and then into meditating with him, letting them sync their minds while everyone exited the room.

 **‘I want you to relax Maul, and show me what happened. Help me understand.’** Plo let his words float in and around Maul, using his force and his own mind to blanket Maul as gently as he could while the Zabrak before him did just that.

With others, the experience could range from a cool calm situation where things were played back in wispy images and sounds that often played out of tune with the images, to traumatic raging shifts and playbacks while stress and emotions crashed into Plo like harsh waters of a storming ocean.

Maul was the latter.

Images of anger fuelled lashing out. Of loss and being cheated. Of hatred and sorrow. And a terrible chasm of loneliness and trauma. Maul was having trouble focusing only on recent events, so Plo assisted as best that he could as he tried to calm some of the extra onslaughts of emotions and trauma that was ravaging Maul’s mind. But they found the answer, and it made him ache for the boy.

He had a brother, a third one, one that was murdered before Maul ever had the chance to meet him. There was guilt there as well, guilt and an overwhelming sense of failure that Plo wished he could help Maul with.

To sum everything up as neatly as Plo could, this was the consequence of Maul trying to do what he always has done. Try to get revenge. And found himself a victim of those consequences and magics he himself did not fully understand.

But that was a matter to look into later, instead, he gently brought Maul back to the present and to a state of being awake.

“You did good Maul. Thank you for trusting me enough to show me what happened.” Plo made sure Maul heard him, understood him. Plo noted his hands were still being held, so he simply waited for Maul to be the first to let go. Plo never liked to be the first one to pull away from a hug or holding one’s hand. It never felt right and he never really knew if the other needed that contact more than Plo did.

It took a minute for Maul to realize his hands were still being held before yanking them back. Plo chose not to take offense as he climbed to his feet again, standing and contacting Wolffe to inform him that he could re-enter. Which he promptly did, never liking to leave Plo unprotected when they were out on a mission these days. A very attentive boy, one Plo was thankful to have the company of.

Plo explained to Wolffe what he could before deciding that it would be best if they left and headed back to the Jedi Temple. An immediate sound of disagreement came from Maul who backed away. Plo frowned slightly before moving to crouch down so he was at eye level with the boy.

“I do not have the means of helping you here, but we may have text or resources back at the temple that could help. No one is going to hurt you and no one is going to incarcerate you as you are now. The Senate is no longer allowed nor in Jedi affairs.” Plo reassured, it took a good hour on top of that to talk Maul into agreeing. Sometimes getting firm and stubborn no’s out of him.

But eventually, they made their way back to the ship. Maul refusing to be carried. So, they had to go slowly for short legs to keep up. It was clear by the time they got there; it was enough to tire someone who got used to not having legs. But even then, refused to be picked up. It was enough to cause Plo to frown inwardly while clicking in slight distress at the notion, only to remind himself once more that Maul technically was an adult in a child’s body. As troubling as that sounded, it was the reality.


	2. Chapter 2

Plo took the time on the trip back to observe the deceptively young-looking Maul. This whole situation was completely bizarre. Never in his long life was he faced with a situation like this. To have a former Sith Lord reverted back to a child-like form, yet retain his memories was definitely a new one. And yet, Maul was not behaving like himself entirely. It was understandable given his situation, but that hardly changed the fact that one moment he appeared to behave as his adult self and then the next showed signs of being just a toddler. Sometimes it shifted so fast it left Plo’s men uncomfortable and not knowing how to respond. Which oftentimes upset the toddler.

When Maul was more himself, he was often cantankerous and trying to get difficult with one of the Wolfpack. Mainly either Sinker or Wolffe by either trying to fight or cause any kind of mischief. One time literally staring Wolffe in the eyes while pushing his caf off the table.

Despite everything, it was an easy trip back to the planet. Plo forcing the issue of buckling Maul into a seat before they entered the atmosphere and landed the ship. Maul glowered at him, Plo didn’t have the heart to inform him that as a toddler his glares and posturing were not entirely all that threatening. The walk from the ship to the New Temple took longer than normal, however, because Maul refused to be carried despite how clearly tired, he was. Plo was not sure when the boy slept last.

“There is no shame. No one would think less of you.” Plo had said to him only to get a stubborn and firm no from the arm-crossed toddler still trying his darndest to stare him down. Plo decided to pick his battles carefully and let the boy have his way.

Plo was met by Kit at the entrance and needlessly said the other was a welcomed sight. But then, the often-jovial Jedi Master was always welcomed company. Plo made a happy sound as he was pulled into a short embrace, short because Kit’s attention was drawn by the glowering toddler standing next to Plo. With a light squeeze to Plo’s hand, Kit crouched down to eye level with Maul and Plo watched as the boy seemed to be gearing for a fight.

“This is the little guy you told us about?” Kit said, going to poke the kid on the forehead only to pull his hand back before Maul could literally bite him. Plo’s seen Kit poke several young padawans on the forehead before. It was just something the other man did. And clearly, it was not a gesture that Maul appreciated. Plo had to lean down and draw Maul’s attention to him and had to make it clear that adult or not, there will be no biting anyone.

Needlessly said, Maul did not appreciate being treated as a child. But Plo stood by his action, if Maul was going to behave like that then Plo would respond as required.

Kit seemed amused, but aside from that made no action to add to what Plo said or counteract it. Instead, he stood back up when Plo did and the three of them now made their way into the temple. Commander Wolffe along with his men went off to file their reports and hopefully get some rest. There might not be as much excitement here in regards to the nightlife, but there was more to do in the day. Some of the men from several different battalions seemed to enjoy their time. Captain Rex took over the gardening on odd days while young padawans took care of it on even.

There was still a lot that the Jedi and their clone troopers did in regards to the aftermath of the war, but oftentimes they took a more peacekeeping approach. Some of the clone troopers adjusted better than others. But that was okay, they were assisting the young men with that. It was hard to adjust to life after the war when you were literally bred for the war itself.

Focusing on the young appearing Maul, Plo could tell that besides being tired and cranky, Maul was also afraid. Which was a big part of why the boy uncharacteristically attached himself to Plo Koon. Literally taking hold of his robs as they walked. Only letting go when that action was noticed, but never for long. Kit caught on and decided to pretend not to notice as well.

Entering the main council chamber, one with an admittedly better view in Plo’s opinion, there was only Yoda present. Some were off-world and others taking care of other duties.

“We also didn’t want to cause any unnecessary conflict, given Maul’s penchant for attacking a certain someone and the crimes done by Maul. It would be easier this way.” Kit explained as he sat down with Plo and now Yoda. Maul was left standing; it would be his choice on whether or not he wanted to sit with them on the floor. The chairs that each member used left unused behind them.

Plo took the moment to explain what happened, leaving out the other glimpses he’s seen. At the moment, it wasn’t anything that could help with the situation at hand, and dealing with Maul’s delicate trust it would be prudent to remain silent until necessary. Eventually, Maul decided to sit down closer to Plo than he was to either Kit or Yoda.

Plo eyed Maul for a moment before sighing inwardly.

Of course, Maul would try to stare down the Grand Master himself. Yoda seemed to make the choice to ignore that as they decided that medical tests would be helpful. Much to Maul’s dismay. The boy seemed offended and disagreed to everything. They couldn’t force the issue, but they did put a great deal of effort into talking him into it. It took a day to get the boy to agree. And perhaps it was because of the lack of mistreatment Maul may have expected or he just didn’t have the energy to put up a fuss anymore – but Maul agreed.

No needles were allowed, every attempt ended with a needle stuck to the ceiling or the wall or hands bitten.

The scans came back clean. Everything came back pointing to the fact that Maul had the appearance and physical attributes to a healthy if not slightly underweight Zabrak toddler. It left everyone perplexed and not many solutions could be offered. The research was the main plan at the moment, sending Kenobi to Coruscant to see if the libraries there would hold any clues. Another was sent to hunt down and investigate the Nightsisters. But beyond that, all they could do was keep an eye on the young-looking Maul and wait until something was discovered.

That was three days ago.

Nothing was found so far and Plo found himself packing a cantankerous toddler around. Maul was finally tired of walking everywhere. However, the boy was very stiff and unsure of himself while being held. Even when he behaved more like a toddler than himself. It made Plo wonder if the boy was held at all growing up. A possibility that made the old Jedi Master ache inside, but it was something he set aside as he fixed the young boy a simple meal for lunch.

Boy – it was hard for Plo to refer to Maul as anything but that. Because for all purposes at the moment, that was what he was. A boy. Just a kid. And everything in Plo Koon told him to look after the child. There was also the matter of his memories. Plo didn’t know how long this was going to last for the Zabrak youth or how long he will remember his life before being turned back to a child.

This was a matter he spoke briefly to Yoda about, Maul’s memories.

_“He seems to still remember who he was, what happened in his life.” Plo had explained to Yoda as the two sat while Maul finally succumbed to exhaustion and slept curled up on a chair. A small blanket located and used to cover him._

_“Remembers he does, but not as detailed as one thinks.” Was Yoda’s response. The Grand Master examining the sleeping child appearing Maul before them. It left a lot of questions and most of them without a single answer to lean on. “Care for him, we will.”_

_“Do you figure his memories will remain the same, or be overwritten in time? Should he remain like this?” Plo let himself wonder out loud._

_“In time, we will know the answers. Not before.” By the sounds of it, Yoda didn’t seem to have many answers as well. Plo could sympathize as he watched as the face of the young appearing Maul twist and scrunch up in clear anger. Plo without even thinking took the back of one of his fingers and soothed the boy as best that he could. Ignoring the appraising look he was receiving from the Grand Master._

_“Care for him, you will.” That didn’t sound like an order or a question._

_It sounded like a fact._

As it were, it was Plo who was taking care of Maul while they investigated what happened and what could be done. But so far nothing seemed to be coming up, not a trace could be found of the Nightsisters and there was hardly anything more than a barely-there transcribe about magic or the kind of magic that might be required for something like this. So, they were taking a closer look at what to do should it become evident that it could not be reversed.

It was Mace who suggested that Maul would be raised here, it was unspoken that everyone already knew that the immediate care for Maul was already being taken over and saw to by Plo. This conversation was only making it more official. There was hope that they could assist the boy in rejoining the light side of the force, help him be better than what he was. Kenobi seemed understandably cautious but agreed that helping him rejoin the light would be an improvement. Plo couldn’t help but feel some warmth and pride for the younger Jedi Master, he’s come so far. And Plo Koon has no doubt that he will continue to do so.

Maul’s sleeping arrangements were with Commander Wolffe and the rest of the pack as the fact that Plo’s living quarters were set to the specific settings that would allow Plo to survive comfortably without his mask. It would be deadly for the young Zabrak. 

“Sir…” Wolffe approached Plo by the fourth day, he seemed troubled as he handed a sleeping Maul over to Plo.

**Author's Note:**

> The pairing Kit and Plo will be featured a bit more as the story goes. If there's anything specific that you want to see, let me know.


End file.
